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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZKIRK, Rahsaan Roland(b Ronald T. Kirk, 7 Aug. '36, Columbus OH; d 5 Dec. '77, Bloomington IN) Reeds, composer. Began with a garden hose at age six. Educated at Ohio State School for the blind; studied trumpet at nine but switched to reeds; played in school band from '48, soon a part- time pro with local groups. The idea of playing three instruments at once came to him in a dream at age 16; discovered the manzello (resembling an alto sax but with soprano sound) and the stritch (a straight alto); played three- part harmony with tenor sax using trick fingering; also played flutes, whistles, siren, bagpipes, etc; more than 40 instruments altogether: he breathed and spoke through flutes, one of the few to overcome their antipathy for jazz. He was received by critics with suspicion at first, but achieved wide, affectionate acceptance by everyone: no self-conscious avant- gardist, he did everything for good musical reasons, incl. experiments, classical adaptations, pop tunes: a complete original. Worked with Charles Mingus '61, first trip to Europe same year; also recorded with Jaki Byard. His new name also came to him in a dream. Suffered stroke '75 but came back. Own LPs, mostly with small groups: Early Roots '56 on King, Bethlehem; Introducing Roland Kirk '60 on Argo/Cadet, then Chess with Ira Sullivan; Kirk's Work and Funk Underneath '61 on Prestige with Jack McDuff (also as two-disc set Pre-Rahsaan); then on Mercury, Trip, Limelight, some titles on more than one: We Free Kings '61, Domino '62, Reeds And Deeds '63, Roland Kirk Meets The Benny Golson Orchestra '63, Kirk In Copenhagen '63, Gifts And Messages '64, I Talk To The Spirits '64 (Kirk on flutes only; two tracks were vocals by Ms C. J. Albert; two were duets with Kirk, Horace Parlan or vibist Bobby Moses), Rip, Rig And Panic and Slightly Latin '65. Soundtrack In The Heat Of The Night '67 has large band dir. by Quincy Jones. Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith '67 was on Verve; The Complete Mercury Recordings on ten-CD set. Atlantic LPs incl. Here Comes The Whistleman c'66, The Inflated Tear '67 (aka That's Jazz No. 3), Left And Right with large orchestra incl. strings and Expansions '68, Volunteered Slavery '68 partly made at Newport Jazz Festival, Rahsaan/Rahsaan '70 partly at Village Vanguard, Natural Black Inventions and Blacknuss '71, Prepare Thyself To Deal With A Miracle '72, A Meeting Of The Times '72 (with three vocals by Al Hibbler, one by Leon Thomas), Bright Moments '73 (live at the Keystone Korner, later on two-CD Rhino set), The Case Of The 3-Sided Dream In Color '75, Other Folks' Music '76. On WB: The Return Of The 5000 lb. Man '76, Kirkatron '76, Boogie Woogie String Along For Real '77 with string orchestra on title track; compilation Simmer, Reduce, Garnish And Serve on WB CD. Two-CD anthology Does Your House Have Lions on Rhino; The Music Of Rahsaan Roland Kirk '86--8 on Natasha Imports played by the Vibration Society, with Bill Hardman, Hilton Ruiz, Cedar Walton, Buster Williams, Billy Higgins and others. |